(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printed wiring board retainers and more particularly, to a printed wiring board retainer arranged in an unlocked position to prevent movement of printed wiring boards out of their associated slots within a file due to vibration encountered while the boards are in service and which may be locked in position to prevent dislodging of the board retainer on the printed wiring boards as during shipment of a file containing boards.
(2) Backoround Art
Printed wiring board retainers are very well known to those skilled in the art. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,213 to Kosanda teaches a printed wiring board guide employing a flexible lock member including a board passing groove and a board engaging catch slideably engaged with a lateral track formed at a front end of the board guide. The latch is displaced laterally permitting the printed wiring board to be inserted through the board passing slot and into the board guide where upon the latch is released to engage a front edge of the printed wiring board via the board engaging catch thereby locking the printed wiring board within the board guide.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,430 to Freitag teaches a circuit board assembly employing latch members adapted to be pivotly affixed to circuit board support bars positioned between adjacent sets of guide rails, the latch members may be pivoted about the support bars to an open position thereby allowing the circuit boards to be individually inserted into channels and then pivoted to a closed position whereat overlying portions of catch members obstruct the channels in which the printed wiring boards are inserted to prevent unintentional removal of the boards.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,549 to Fiege teaches a hinged retaining bar which engages otherwise free edges of circuit cards when in position in a card file. The hinged retaining bar has a engagement face of resilient material providing elastic engagement with a front edge of each card to provide a unique gripping action of the card front edge.
The above arrangements while operating generally satisfactorily involve the design and fabrication of costly and complicated component parts.